Entrapment
by lblue
Summary: The gang had devised a plan to bring Ren and Pirika together. Would they fall for it, or would they realize the trap before it's too late? 8th Chapter finally up!
1. Default Chapter

Entrapment * The gang had devised a perfect plan to bring Ren and Pirika together. It was a trap, cunningly planned, no chance of escape, would they fall for it, or would they realize it before it's too late? *  
  
Prologue  
  
Jun Tao sat anxiously on the cushion, sipping the tea Tamao had served, with Pailong looming beside her. Yoh and Anna arrived, with the smile ever plastered on Yoh's face, and Anna, looking bored. They sat down. Hao, Horo- Horo, Tamao, Chocolove, Lyserg, Ryu, and Manta, who all had been there earlier, followed suit.  
  
Once all of them had comfortably sat down, Yoh spoke, in his usual cheerful tone. "Jun, this visit was rather unexpected. How are things in China?"  
  
"Everything's fine." Jun replied, "That is everything, except Ren. I came here to talk to you about him."  
  
Anna shifted. "So, what about Ren?"  
  
"Ren has been acting strange, lately." Jun sighed. "There are times when he's not himself. You know, one moment he's calm, and the next thing, he's acting rather violent. He easily lost his temper. The family kyonshis cannot even control once he started acting violently. My parents and I have been worried about him. We've done all the possible things, it just won't work out. I'm here to ask you to help Ren, for the second time."  
  
There was a profound silence. Then Manta spoke up. "Send him to a doctor. Maybe he's sick mentally." Horo-Horo and Chocolove couldn't suppress a chuckle.  
  
"That's the first thing we did." Jun said, looking grim. "We sent for a psychiatrist. Nothing happened. He said Ren was just depressed, and advised him to relax and take some vacation. He immediately left, without an explanation. I tried to reach him again, but it was useless. He refused to answer all my calls."  
  
"Master Ren must have frightened him." Ryu said. Horo-Horo grinned. "Ryu, Ren threatened him."  
  
"Anyway," Jun continued, "We tried to take Ren for a vacation. It didn't work out. Either he won't come, or he won't cooperate." Jun forced a smile. "You know Ren, he's rather hard-headed."  
  
Hao's eyes suddenly lit up. "I think, what your brother needs is someone who could control him..."  
  
Chocolove grinned, getting the point. "A sheath that controls the katana..."  
  
Lyserg and Horo-Horo exchanged surprised looks. "A girlfriend! Ren needs a girlfriend!"  
  
'Love could be the best remedy, you know." Manta added.  
  
Everyone laughed, except Jun, and of course Anna. "I believed I tried that." Jun smiled. "Ren hated my matchmaking. I set him up to almost all the lovely, single girls across China. He said he was bored, and that these girls were not his type."  
  
Yoh smiled. "So, Ren is a picky one." Jun smiled back, and nodded.  
  
"Start a bachelor show!" Chocolove stupidly suggested.  
  
Jun sighed. "The problem is, girls are rather afraid of him."  
  
"So, we need someone whom Ren likes, and who could handle him pretty well." Lyserg shrugged. "Pretty tough."  
  
"Why don't you try setting him up with someone he knows?" Anna sharply said.  
  
Tamao agreed. "That's an excellent idea."  
  
"Right, if there was hope for my future sister-in-law here, then..." Anna threw Hao that shut-up look. Hao grinned. "Never mind."  
  
"I didn't try that." Jun forced a laugh. "The problem is, who?"  
  
"The Lily Five?"  
  
"Nah, Ren wouldn't look twice at them."  
  
"What about...."  
  
They spent at least an hour remembering names of the girls they have met, at the same time, coming up with an explanation why Ren wouldn't like her.  
  
"Well, that leaves us just a few girls." Ryu said.  
  
Yoh smiled. "Anna here is engaged to me!"  
  
"Okay, my dear sis here is out." Hao glanced at Tamao, then at Horo-Horo. "Tamao's already taken, so she's out. Jeanne, likewise, is taken." He grinned at Lyserg. Lyserg looked away. "Opacho, is out of the question. So that leaves..." All heads turned to Horo-Horo.  
  
Horo-Horo looked pale. "No." He muttered.  
  
"Pirika." Hao softly said.  
  
Jun laughed. "Of course, Horo-Horo's sister. Why, I have not thought of her! Where is she, anyway?"  
  
"She's out with Jeanne." Lyserg replied, with a smirk on his face.  
  
"No. I won't allow it." Horo-Horo said. "Pirika is too young."  
  
"Your sister is turning sixteen, in case you haven't noticed." Anna stiffly said.  
  
"Oh please, she hated Ren."  
  
"How did you know?" Tamao asked.  
  
"It won't work out."  
  
Manta smiled. "It won't hurt to try." Horo-Horo still looked unconvinced.  
  
"Oh come on, Horo-Horo." Yoh said, "Ren is nice in some sort of a way, and he won't hurt Pirika."  
  
Hao nodded. "As if your sister would allow it."  
  
"Just think of it, Pirika marrying Ren Tao." Jun giggled, "At least, you know that Pirika is well taken care of. Ren would be a good provider."  
  
"Why are we talking about marriage?" Horo-Horo asked, blankly.  
  
"Just to let you know the possibility." Jun replied. "You always wanted the best for Pirika."  
  
"Fine." Horo-Horo finally said. "Just see, if it works out, fine. If not, don't insist on it." The gang nodded. Horo-Horo turned to Jun. "If Ren hurts Pirika, I'll strangle him."  
  
"Don't worry." Jun smiled. "If he does that, I'll strangle him myself." 


	2. 2

I was in a hurry when I typed this one, so expect some errors. Mankin characters are not mine, and would never be mine... Read on...  
  
I just invented Kyle... Got it? :)  
  
Entrapment  
  
Chapter 1: Rendezvous: Him Again  
  
Pirika sleepily stood to greet the professor, a bald man, in his late fifties. After twitching his mouth to reveal a rather toothless jaw that was supposed to be called a smile (Halloween is still months away, right?), he instructed all of them to sit down. All her classmates started to grin. Professor Tomo then started his weird speech. After listening to a word or two, she gave up giving him her full attention. It was all about the dos and don'ts, and frankly, she could have summarized all that was needed to be said in just one sentence: when doing something stupid, make it triple sure that you'll not get caught, for the punishments are severe and unbearable. She instead turned to Jeanne, her bestfriend, and saw her hanging to every word the professor said. How could she do that, she wondered. All her classmates, she included, have been trying not to close their eyes, fighting to stay awake, and here was Jeanne, alert, and listening attentively... Never mind. Pirika was bored and sleepy, and the dull voice of the professor, making his endless speech, didn't improve her condition; and this was the first day of the term. She couldn't imagine what would the other sessions be like. Pirika just looked around, and for the first time, noticed that the seat next to her was vacant. So that means, Kyle was gone, the guy who gave her the worst headache the past few years.  
  
She could still remember how she met him. It was the first day of classes, merely four years ago. Pirika was walking hurriedly, for she was late in her classes, when he stumbled on Kyle. The moment he saw her, he fell down on his knees, took a rose on his coat, and claimed that she was the most beautiful creature he ever laid eyes on and he was in love with her, a love at first sight, he claimed. Pirika was shocked; she just stood before him, too stunned to say something. Within a week, the whole campus knew that Kyle was courting Pirika. Within a month, she received hundreds of long- stemmed, velvety roses. Each morning she got one on her doorstep, one on her seat, and another one on her locker. On the way home, Kyle would give her another, and one rose would still be waiting for her once she got home. She received five roses a day, which meant, "I love you so much," as Kyle later explained. He sat beside her in every class, escorted her during breaks, and walked her home every afternoon. He would play some mushy tune in his guitar, and people around them would burst into giggles. Pirika could only manage an embarrassed smile. He would call her every evening just to bid her good night. Once in a while, Kyle would ask her out, and oftentimes, she would decline. He would crack a joke just to see her smile when she's not having a good day. He would write poems that would melt every girl's heart. Kyle had always been there for her. Yet, she made it clear that she just wanted to be friends with him. He understood, of course, but still, she was the recipient of the most expensive chocolate, the biggest teddy bear, and the most beautiful long-stemmed rose during Valentine's Day. Everyone knew one fact: Kyle was crazy about Pirika. Still, sometimes, it annoyed her.  
  
Kyle kept on tailing her that she lost her privacy, especially when she wanted to talk to Jeanne, alone. He was persistent, and eager, that she found herself shouting at him one day. She apologized right after. There were people who kept asking her if they were an item or why didn't she give Kyle a chance... A question that still puzzles her...  
  
Kyle was every girl's dream guy. Good looking, smart, a gentleman, considerate... Mention it... He's simply perfect, but he was too perfect for her. She would be unfair, all because... Pirika mentally slapped herself for remembering that incident that happened five years ago. She forced herself to think of something else. She turned to the window beside her, and then sighed. She sort of missed Kyle, and he didn't even bother to tell her that he was going...  
  
The sound of the sliding door opening snapped her out of her reverie. Everyone turned to see who was it. The principal entered, beckoning to Professor Tomo to come outside. Seeing it was just the principal, the class went back to their usual business.  
  
After some minutes, Professor Tomo emerged, grinning. "Class, I wanted to introduce your new classmate. A boy from abroad..."  
  
Pirika smiled. "He couldn't be worse than Kyle, I presume." She caught Jeanne's eye, who returned her smile. Some of her classmates heard her and laughed.  
  
Yet the moment the boy walked in, Pirika knew she was mistaken. She felt herself draw breath, her heart beating faster than usual, and her body tense and rigid. Everything about him was strikingly familiar. The hair, the eyes, the expression, the aura... She knew she recognized him instantly. No, she muttered, she couldn't bear to face the fact that she was seeing the face of the person she avoided, and had been trying to forget for the past five years. She turned abruptly to the girl in front of her, and asked her to pinch her. Maybe this was just a nightmare, and she had to wake up from it as soon as possible. After giving Pirika a confused look, the girl inched her. It hurts, so that means... No, please, no. She would rather take a dozen Kyle than this one. She then started thinking about her past sins that made her deserve this punishment...  
  
"Class," came Professor Tomo's voice, "I want you to meet Tao Ren. He's from China." The girls in front burst into giggles.  
  
Pirika heard herself gasp. She was seeing his face again, and in here, of all time and places. She noticed that five years had changed absolutely nothing about him. Ren Tao still wore an unusual haircut, his hair with the color of sapphire, strands of which fell to his hazel eyes, producing a rare effect. His expression was void of any emotion, save perhaps boredom, and the aura surrounding him confirmed his mysterious and quiet personality. He wore only a plain shirt, and a light-colored denim pants, yet it couldn't be denied the fact that he has a well-built frame, with his broad shoulders and well-formed muscles... Of course, his training, how could she forget? Despite the odd expression on his face, it couldn't be denied the fact that he was incredibly handsome. All the girls noticed that. That thought brought about memories of the past better left buried, and she instinctively knew, after all these years, she still had not forgotten him.  
  
Pirika stared at his hazel eyes, with specks of gold between them. He still had not changed. Why was he here? That probably was the time when Ren noticed her. He stared back at her aqua eyes, his eyes looked surprised. Time seemed to stand still.  
  
I don't know if Ren's eyes were really hazel, and Pirika's, aqua. Correct me, okay? Please give me their birthdays! Thanks... Next chapter? I really don't know. 


	3. 3

Jeez, can you believe it? I actually updated...Read on...  
  
Entrapment  
  
Chapter 2: Rendezvous: Her Again  
  
"Why am I doing this?" Ren Tao asked himself for the thousandth time. He stood outside the room, waiting for the professor to show him in. He rubbed his temples. His head was sober as he had just arrived from China, and went straight here. He didn't even know why he was here, why he had agreed with his sister's silly idea of coming here to continue his studies. There are a lot of good schools in China, even better than this freak school his sister enrolled him in. He just couldn't understand how her sister's mind works. He just can't say no to his sister.  
  
The professor motioned him to come in. Ren merely nodded. He stepped inside. He heard the professor say his name. The girls in front burst into giggles. He grunted. He hated it when girls do that. He suddenly felt uncomfortable. He was suddenly aware of the fact that someone was intently watching him. He looked around.  
  
He felt himself catch his breath. He saw it, the pair of aqua eyes he thought he'd never see again...  
  
Pirika.  
  
Ren stared back at her in shock, oblivious of everything around him.  
  
Pirika was now aware of the fact that Ren had already noticed her. She stiffened. She was uncomfortable that Ren was staring at her like that. To sum it all, he still had the guts to stare back at her, after all he'd done... Pirika matched his surprised amber eyes with her dagger-like stares. She mastered it all these years, and she finally got the chance to use it.  
  
Ren was surprised. What did he do this time? Pirika was glaring at him. At least, he felt relieved. He finally found the girl who had been hiding from him for five years. Ren, instead of glaring back at her, gave her a smile. Knowing Pirika, she'd be more annoyed by it. He smiled to himself, seeing Pirika's reaction.  
  
Pirika was startled that Ren gave her a smile. The person rarely smiled, for heaven's sake! She was surprised that he still knew how to do it. She then realized that Ren was mocking her. Pirika, however, was determined to win this so called war of the stares. She looked at him softly, and smiled back, a smile that would send every man on his knees, vying for her affections.  
  
Ren was taken aback with what Pirika just did. He just saw the most perfect smile, playing on her lips. It was so mesmerizing, so magical, as if it was hypnotizing him to... He then saw Pirika laugh. She'd seen his damn reaction, but before he could do anything to get back at her, the professor cleared his throat.  
  
"Tao, you could now go and sit beside the blue-haired girl, Pirika." Those words were enough... Ren chuckled. He'd give anything just to see Pirika react that way. It was a mixture of anger, shock, and irritation, and he didn't do anything... Ah, revenge...  
  
Pirika paled. Did she just hear everything correctly? Ren Tao would be sitting beside her... No, she wouldn't let the professor condemn her to a one-year vacation in hell, just like that. She could still do something about having him in the same room, but seeing him beside her was another story. Pirika looked around. There were two or three vacant seats. Good... She stood. "Uh, professor?" She asked sweetly, "Why don't you let Ren choose the seat he likes? You know, as a gesture of welcome." Pirika shot Ren a glare. "There are plenty of seats available, anyway."  
  
Ren could easily see what five years had done to Pirika. She had changed... Her blue-hair now reached her shoulders, and her aqua eyes were as radiant as ever. Her cheeks had the tint of roses and cream, and her red lips titled upward, complimenting the tip of her nose. Her chest had grown fuller, and the blouse and skirt she wore revealed her slender curves. If Pirika was 11 when he last saw her, then she should be 16 by now. Ren smiled. Pirika had reached the age of purity, and innocence. Sweet sixteen as they call it. She was more of a woman now, less of a girl. He could hardly believe it. Horo-Horo's little sister had grown up.  
  
"I suppose you're right, Pirika." Pirika displayed a satisfied smile. The professor turned to Ren. "Well, Tao, where do you want to sit?"  
  
"Professor," Ren displayed a wicked smile. "Sitting beside Pirika would be fine." He wouldn't let her off the hook that easily. She, after all, has five years to pay for.  
  
Pirika's face almost shattered. Ren was not cooperating. "Ren, you wouldn't be comfortable sitting there." She said, as calmly as possible.  
  
'That would be a matter of opinion, Pirika." Ren coolly replied, "Thanks for the concern, anyway."  
  
It was hopeless. Pirika instead turned to the professor. 'Sir, I want to transfer seats." She picked up her bag.  
  
"Jeez, Pirika." Ren said, "Why don't you just tell the whole world that you don't want to seat beside me?"  
  
Pirika glared at him. "Am I that obvious?"  
  
They now had the attention of the class. It was the first time they saw Pirika openly angry to a fellow student, to a new student to say the least. Who was this Ren Tao? What did he do to make Pirika dislike him this much?  
  
"Do you know, Pirika, Tao?" One classmate of hers asked.  
  
"Yes, I know her." Ren casually replied, "She's an acquaintance, from long ago."  
  
All heads turned to Pirika for confirmation. "Unfortunately," Her aqua eyes flickered in anger, "He's my brother's and Yoh's bestfriend."  
  
"In fact," Ren continued, grinning. "I haven't seen her for five years..."  
  
That's it. Pirika closed her eyes, and started counting from one to ten, in an obvious attempt to control her temper. This was the last thing she wanted, the whole class knowing their damn history... Wait... What did she just say? Their damn history... But, they didn't have any history...  
  
"Enough of this." The professor cried, interrupting her panicked thoughts, "Ren Tao, you could now go and sit beside Pirika, and Pirika, you would remain in your place. I see no valid reason why you should be transferring seats. This is only a seating arrangement, for heaven's sake. I expected a better behavior from the model student of the batch, Pirika. As I was saying..."  
  
Pirika sat down, admitting defeat. Ren passed, and sat beside her. "Nice seeing you again, Pirika." She heard him whisper. She could fathom out the amusement in his voice. She didn't glance at him. Pirika buried her face in her hands.  
  
This would be one hell of a year...  
  
I know it took a while before I updated the last chapter (Chap.1), gomen! I've been busy lately, though it's summer... chores, reading fics (I'm addicted to Naruto this time! NaruSasu!), preparing for college entrance exams (Yup, I'm an incoming fourth year!), etc. Just remember that I'm doing my best to post the chapters... I know how you feel, guys, waiting for updates... Yeah, I was frustrated about that too. The incoming chapters have been written anyway, I just have to type them...  
  
As usual, I like to thank all those who read and reviewed the last two chapters! Thanks for giving me their birthdays (especially to the person who gave me all the Mankin characters' birthdays!) and for correcting me that Ren's eyes are not hazel with flecks of gold, but are purely gold or amber. I got Pirika right, though. Salamat! Arigatou! Gracias! I hope you like the plot of the story so far, though nothing yet has happened. Well, something will happen... :)  
  
I can't continue writing my other unfinished fics. I'm focusing on this one. I just can't write two fics at the same time. That only means, "Born For You" is stuck, until I'm finished with this one. I deleted "No Regrets" because I just don't feel like continuing it any more; it's heading nowhere. Hey, it's hard to do, considering it's my first fic. Upcoming Yoh/ Anna fics? I don't know.  
  
Could someone lecture me with the use of suffixes? You know, -chan, -kun, etc. What the hell is Pirika's last name? Thanks.  
  
Recommendations: Read syaoran_no_hime's works, (Anna and the King, Wanted, etc.) I think she's the best. Apple-chan's "Celebrations" is worth reading too.  
  
This is the longest note I've written so far! Nay, just don't forget to review! Any more questions, just email me: mg_lblue@hotmail.com, comments and suggestions are very much welcome. I think that's all! Ja!  
  
*** lblue 


	4. 4

Entrapment  
  
Chapter Three  
  
The Manking gang was at the school rooftop, eating lunch, listening to what Morphine was saying about Ren and Pirika. Morphine was tasked to watch over the two.  
  
"That was one nasty fight," Yoh said, after Morphine finished telling the whole story, "Concerning seating arrangements."  
  
Tamao sighed. "Pirika must be really angry with Ren, then." She offered Yoh the tupperware of sushi. Yoh muttered a quick thanks before devouring everything.  
  
Horo-Horo snorted. He reached out for his share. "I told you they would not get along well. Pirika's been avoiding him. They'll just end up slashing each other's throats. The seating arrangement, whose idea was it, by the way?"  
  
"Mine," Anna coolly replied, "Is there a problem?"  
  
Horo-Horo nearly choked. He knew better than to pick up a fight with the Queen. "None, Anna."  
  
Lyserg smiled. "You're being a protective brother once again, Horo-Horo."  
  
"You can't blame me." Horo-Horo quickly replied, biting into the tuna sandwich. "Shesmyonlysister."  
  
Tamao smacked him in the head. "Don't speak when your mouth is full!"  
  
"Horo-Horo," Manta looked up from his laptop. "It's Ren that we're talking about here. In case you forgot, he's your bestfriend. You could trust him."  
  
"Yeah, Ren's my bestfriend, but... Never mind." Horo-Horo sighed. He wiped his lips. "What now? The first day of classes, and look what happened. I can barely imagine them together."  
  
Chocolove grinned. "As they say, the more you hate, the more you love."  
  
"Besides," Hao added, with a grin on his face. "It's only the beginning. The seating arrangement is merely an icebreaker. They'll end up together, you'll see."  
  
"Whatever." Horo-Horo yawned, wearing a satisfied expression on his face, after what he'd eaten. "Where are they, anyway?"  
  
Lyserg smiled, as he looked at Morphine who was seating on his shoulder. "As Morphine had told us, when you were not obviously listening, Professor Tomo asked your sister to take Ren around the school grounds."  
  
"That's the library." Pirika pointed, "Second door to the right, open from 6 am to 6 pm." She faced him. "Do you want to have a closer look or do you want to proceed to the second floor."  
  
Ren brushed his hand to his hair. 'Let's go to the second floor." He admitted he was having difficulty walking with the blue-haired girl in front of him, who was pretty determined to keep her distance from him.  
  
"Fine." Pirika grunted, as she headed out for the stairs. Ren remained on the spot. Sensing this, Pirika stopped and turned to look at him. "What now, Tao?"  
  
"Oh, so we're back to last names, huh, Ainu." Ren coolly replied, as he approached her. "Say, is this the proper way to treat people you haven't seen, or rather avoided, for the past five years, especially your brother's best friend?"  
  
Pirika decided to ignore the word avoided. "I'm not my brother, so I'm not expected to do the first name familiarity, with you." She calmly replied, "Unless of course, the honorable Tao demands me of it." She added with obvious rage.  
  
"I was just wondering," said Ren, with an arrogant smirk on his face, "What have I done to have the honor of having the beautiful Pirika of the Ainu tribe furious with me?"  
  
Pirika smiled sardonically, matching Ren's smirk. "Honestly, I thought the arrogant Ren Tao couldn't be any dumber."  
  
Ren chuckled. If there's one thing Pirika shouldn't do right now, it was playing his game. "Stupidity is different from confusion, and I thought you were old enough to understand that, Pirika."  
  
"As you say so." Pirika started climbing the stairs.  
  
Ren still wouldn't move. "Why are you avoiding me, Pirika?" He said, seriously this time.  
  
Pirika stopped. This guy was getting to her nerves. "I'm not avoiding you." she lied.  
  
"Oh yes, you are." Ren replied softly, "In fact, you've been avoiding me for the past five years, and I'm still wondering what respectable thing have I accomplished to make me deserve such distinctive treatment."  
  
Pirika noticed the sarcasm on his voice. She wasn't ready for this confrontation, yet. "You're just imagining things, Ren." She feared that her voice was a little shaky.  
  
"I have arrived at such conclusion not merely by imagining things, Pirika." Ren casually said, "I possess certain facts and evidences to support such idea."  
  
He continued, before Pirika could even say something.  
  
"You did not see me off the airport when I left for China five years ago."  
  
"Am I obliged to see you off?" Pirika snapped.  
  
"You left that same morning," Ren continued as though he didn't hear Pirika. "When you know very well that I'd be leaving that afternoon."  
  
"It was an emergency." Pirika refused to look at him. "My aunt was sick..."  
  
Ren cut her off. "Couldn't it wait after you saw me off? From what your brother had told me, your aunt wasn't that sick."  
  
Pirika didn't reply. She started climbing the stairs again. Ren smiled to himself, he won that one.  
  
"That same year, I came back, in time for Christmas." Ren slowly followed her. "Your brother said that you would be spending Christmas with the Ainu tribe."  
  
"It had been long since I spent Christmas with them, I kinda miss it."  
  
"You never showed up the whole time I was there. You returned the day I left."  
  
Pirika didn't say anything. That's two, Ren muttered to himself.  
  
"Summer, the next year, I invited the gang for a month-long vacation in China, and you didn't come, may I ask what the hell is your excuse for that one?"  
  
"I don't feel like going!" Was the angry reply.  
  
Good. Pirika's cracking up. "So, the hide and seek continued for four years. Either you're not here when I'm here, or you're not going everytime I invited you over."  
  
"I told you..."  
  
"But last Christmas, I managed to come up with a brilliant plan. I didn't tell anyone that I was coming over. Still, the crafty Pirika got the better of me. She left, barely minutes before I arrived. How did you know?"  
  
Pirika snorted. How? Easy, really. You spend Christmas with the gang once every two years. For someone smart unlike you, it wouldn't be hard to get the pattern. So, I left the day after the term ended just to make sure. Heck, she knew that was a close one. "I intended to spend Christmas with them that year, and I have no idea that you were coming!" She exclaimed, avoiding the question. "Thanks for the perfume, by the way."  
  
Ren smirked. "You're wearing it."  
  
"Wearing what?"  
  
"The perfume I gave you." He coolly replied.  
  
Pirika bit her lip. She's wearing that perfume, and she wondered why it had to be this day when she decided to wear it.  
  
"I bought it, myself, so literally, I remember how it smells." Ren explained. "Anyway, I'm not here to talk about perfume."  
  
Pirika said nothing, as she continued to walk. Ren grabbed her wrist, and spun her around.  
  
"Let go of me..."  
  
Ren ignored Pirika's cries. He continued to hold her firmly. "Lying doesn't suit you, Pirika. You were never a good liar in the first place."  
  
"They're all coincidences, Ren." Pirika cried defensively, as she struggled from Ren's firm hold.  
  
"Pity, I don't believe in coincidences, Pirika."  
  
"Maybe it's time you believe in one!" Pirika snapped.  
  
Ren smiled. "The game is over, Pirika, and I won. I caught you now, after five years."  
  
"I don't think so, Tao Ren! I'm determined to win this war." Pirika raised her free hand to slap him.  
  
Ren caught it on time. "Oh, are we having one?"  
  
Pirika glowed. "Is that why you're here?" Ren looked at her questionably. "Why are you damn here in the first place, Ren?"  
  
"I'm here to make your life a miserable hell, Pirika." Ren leered.  
  
Pirika smirked. "Nice. Afterall, it wouldn't hurt to try."  
  
Ren then let go of her. He watched her go, with an amused expression on his face. For the first time that day, he was actually glad that he was here.  
  
I'll let you go this time, Pirika,  
  
But sooner, or later, I'll get the truth out of you.  
  
It's payback time.  
  
You want a war?  
  
You got it....  
  
: ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) 


	5. 5

All disclaimers apply...No time for author's note... Ja!  
  
Entrapment  
  
Chapter Four  
  
One  
  
Bloody  
  
Hell...  
  
That was how Pirika described her first two months back in school.  
  
All because of the  
  
Inconsiderate,  
  
Cocky,  
  
Disdainful,  
  
Bossy,  
  
And perhaps the most arrogant man alive in the face of the earth...  
  
If ever, he was human,  
  
REN TAO  
  
It was definitely an all-out war,  
  
All the insults,  
  
The get-evens,  
  
The continuous mockery,  
  
One wouldn't call it a day without the two of them arguing,  
  
Worse, this wasn't just an ordinary person,  
  
This person was claiming to be her brother's best friend,  
  
He was part of the "gang"  
  
The circle of friends she came to regard as a family,  
  
Pirika had no choice but to put up with him...  
  
"Heavens, Jeanne!" Pirika exclaimed, rubbing her temples, sensing a headache brewing. "I don't know for how long I can stand this!" She just came from the principal's office, after her and Ren's attention had been called regarding their "behavior."  
  
"You're a survivor, Pirika!" Jeanne replied, slightly amused by her best friend's predicament. "Why are you so mad at him?"  
  
"Hello!" Pirika cried. "Who wouldn't be angry with a man who annoys you every minute possible? Who wouldn't be angry with a person who contradicts every answer you give during class discussions?" Jeanne suppressed a smile. Pirika shot her a glare. "Who wouldn't be angry with a person who keep on throwing any insult on your face? Who wouldn't be angry with a person who landed you in the principal's office for the third time this week?" Jeanne laughed. "Tell me, who wouldn't? I'm not a saint, Jeanne, and I do not intend to be a martyr, either. I'm not just mad at him, Jeanne, in fact, I'm dead furious with him. Now, we're partners for the year! Jeez, what the hell have I done to deserve such punishment?"  
  
***************************** Flashback*********************************  
  
Professor Tomo cleared his throat. "There has been a memorandum from the principal herself that all students shall accomplish all requirements for the entire year by pairs, one boy and one girl, in fact, to promote good comradeship among students."  
  
Pirika bit her lip. Please, I'll do anything. Just don't let me be his (She glanced at her left,) partner. Ren sneered in return.  
  
"All girls shall pick a paper from this box," Professor Tomo shook the box, "Which in turn would reveal the name of their partners. We'll do this alphabetically."  
  
When it was Pirika's turn, the class quieted down in anticipation. She saw Ren grin. She shrugged and nervously walked down the aisle. She was aware of the eyes that followed her movements. Her hands quivered as she thrust them into the box, carefully selecting a paper. She knew she could be making the biggest mistake of her life right this moment. Pirika finally got one piece of paper and slowly unfolded it. The class watched on. She breathed hard. She was undoing the last fold. Then, she turned pale. The paper read...  
  
"Well, who was it, Pirika?"  
  
Pirika closed her eyes. She was tempted to say another name, to save her dear precious life from another hell. "It's Ren Tao."  
  
Ren's grin widened. The members of the Ren's fan club sighed in envy. The rest of the class giggled.  
  
"Sir, I simply can't work with him."  
  
"Why not, Pirika?"  
  
"Because we never get along well! We always end up arguing! I doubt it if we can accomplish anything productive!"  
  
"Well, it's your problem, not mine. May I remind you that the purpose of such arrangement is to..."  
  
"I am perfectly aware of the purpose, Professor!" Pirika cut in. "Sir, how can I get along perfectly with such annoying, arrogant, disdainful..."  
  
Ren grimaced. He hated it when he was being insulted. "Spare me the flattery, Pirika."  
  
The class sighed. Uh-oh, not one of those Ren-Pirika fights again.  
  
Pirika angrily turned to him. "Shut up, Ren! I'm not talking to you. Besides, are you that dense that you can't distinguish flattery from insult? Pity."  
  
Ren flinched. "What exactly is your problem? You picked up the paper..."  
  
Pirika rolled her eyes. "And I thought you're not that stupid! Hell, you are that stupid! Can't you see that you are my problem?"  
  
Ren was about to retort, when Professor Tomo raised a hand to silence both of them. "Enough."  
  
They both landed in the principal's office for the third time that week.  
  
**************************** End of Flashback***************************  
  
"Pirika, he seems nice."  
  
"Nice!" Pirika sighed, "It depends, what the hell is your definition of nice?" She smiled. "I'm telling Lyserg about this."  
  
"Nah, he's not my type." Jeanne quickly replied.  
  
"Who's he? Ren or Lyserg?"  
  
Jeanne flushed. "I got the point, Pirika." She smirked, "If ever he was my type, are you jealous?"  
  
It was Pirika's turn to flush. "Why should I be jealous?"  
  
"I mean, there are a lot of girls out there who are vying for Ren's attention." said Jeanne, "I've been approached by a nearly dozen girls, Pirika, asking me all the stupid things about Ren."  
  
"So?"  
  
Jeanne grinned once more. "Oh, it was the other way around. Girls are extremely jealous of you."  
  
"Why should they be jealous of me?" Pirika demanded, "I'm not Ren's girlfriend, and I have no intention of being one."  
  
"You are stupid sometimes, Pirika." Jeanne reprimanded. "They are jealous because you are the only member of the female population of the student body whom Ren pays special attention to."  
  
"Special attention? You call this special attention?"  
  
"He likes you, Pirika, and this is his weird way of showing it."  
  
"He doesn't like me. Trust me, he doesn't." Pirika replied quietly. She knew enough to say that. "He's just determined to make my life a miserable hell, he said so himself." For the five years she avoided him, not that it was her fault anyway, she mentally added.  
  
"Miss Perfect and Mr. Popularity!" Jeanne sniggered. "You two would make a lovely couple!"  
  
"Cut it out, Jeanne!"  
  
Jeanne softly smiled. "You're just afraid of Ren Tao, Pirika/"  
  
Pirika rolled her eyes. "Me? Afraid of that arrogant jerk?"  
  
"Yes, you're afraid of him." Jeanne replied, the smile still on her lips. "Because you found your match, and sooner or later, you'll fall in love with him."  
  
No. Pirika frowned, muttering to herself.  
  
I won't fall in love with him, never again.  
  
She stopped believing in love five years ago.  
  
Okay, I'm slowly revealing what happened five years ago between Ren and Pirika. Yeah, Pirika was in love with Ren five years ago, but Ren did, or rather said something that made Pirika dislike him. What? 


	6. 6

Author's Note: Guess what, I had to reformat my hard drive! So very sorry, for very late update...I decided to type a long chapter to make it up... All disclaimers apply...Read on... Thanks to all my reviewers!! :p  
  
Entrapment  
  
Chapter Five: History  
  
Ren tapped his fingers impatiently on his desk. He was trying to concentrate on writing his six-paged essay on literature, wait, his and Pirika's essay. He didn't know how the girl managed to convince him to do it. Yet, every time he tried to think about the essence of a particular form of literature, his thoughts seemed to end on one person... Pirika...  
  
Four months already... And he still had not found the answers to his questions that continued to bug his mind...  
  
Why the damn hell was Pirika acting so cold towards him these past few months?  
  
Wait, not just months, he silently corrected himself,  
  
The said girl had been acting like that to the point of completely avoiding him for five years...  
  
Five bloody hell years...  
  
For the same reason, he hated the number five as of now. (He hated the numbers four down to one once.)  
  
Pirika was different, very different from the sweet, naïve girl he knew back then... She was so withdrawn, close to being impassive...  
  
Was that connected with the process called "maturity"?  
  
Or the blue-haired girl was just hanging out around Anna a little too much?  
  
He didn't like the sound of the latter anyway...the obvious question was:  
  
What happened?  
  
What did he do?  
  
Was it somehow connected with that "night" five years ago? Yet, he had already explained everything about that. The letter he left took care of it. So, what's her problem?  
  
He was not blind to see that he was the only member of the human population that was treated that way...He was sort of honored, well, who wouldn't? Seeing Pirika all annoyed and irritable had been his favorite past time lately.  
  
Ren had been annoying the girl for two reasons. One, it's pay-back time, and two, maybe the girl would somehow snap of it, crack, and start yelling at him for whatever reason she was mad at him, and relieve him of his confusion. He obviously preferred it that way. It wasn't wrong to make the first move, was it?  
  
Yet it couldn't be denied the fact that a mere question haunted his mind and invaded his dreams, to the point of near insanity...  
  
Ren grimaced as he remembered all those horrible things he'd done...  
  
Nearly blasting the whole mansion to ruins, nearly setting fire to the whole manor, having a habit of tossing and breaking every unfortunate gadget that he happened to set eyes on, and fasting without an apparent reason at all...  
  
Heck...  
  
All because of a girl...  
  
Yeah, you heard it right. Ren Tao, that Ren Tao, was nearly driven out of his wits because of a girl,  
  
Blame everything on Pirika, and her stupid five-year escapade...  
  
A girl... Yeah, right. Everything was all because of a blue-haired, blue-eyed girl.  
  
Tell his sister, and she would probably party in no time.  
  
Ren tried to convince himself that he didn't care, not a single bit.  
  
He didn't care if Pirika just decided to permanently delete him from her memory bank, or if she suddenly decided to have amnesia whenever he was around. He didn't care at all.  
  
That was the problem. It worked the other way around.  
  
All this accomplished was managing to convince himself that he did care. He cared for the blue-haired Ainu a lot. Hell of a lot.  
  
So he knew he had to get some answers. He will get some answers, or be really insane. The five-year hide and seek was a proof of that.  
  
The thing is, it only succeeded in more new appliances, and more house repairs. It even earned him a trip to the doctor, and a couple of blind dates.  
  
That's when he concluded that Jun Tao, heck, all women, are pretty annoying.  
  
When his sister came up with an idea of studying in Japan, he adamantly refused. Okay, he knew there was the prospect of seeing Pirika again, but hey, that was the time he started giving up.  
  
He already convinced himself that some things have to turn out that way. The reality of life: some people come and some people definitely have to go. Yet, why does it have to be her?  
  
He knew he could easily forget her, if he just put his mind into it. Not that she was that special. After all, she was and always had been the little sister of his best friend.  
  
Was she?  
  
Fine. Well, not really, but whatever it was, it was just a simple infatuation. Infatuations fade with time. A thirteen –year old guy who sort of fell in love with an eleven-year old girl... Really funny...  
  
Never mind that ring. Never mind wherever that ring was right now. He didn't even know why he gave her one five years ago. Excuse the behavior of a thirteen-year old infatuated guy.  
  
Yet the moment, he stood in that classroom, looking tired and sleepy, with a horrible headache, all things were definitely forgotten.  
  
All that seemed to matter were those eyes, and the pace his heart seemed to pick up.  
  
In all honesty, he never expected to see her there, okay, maybe he half expected to see her, but not that soon, and definitely not there. It never occurred to him that they could be in the same class, not even in his wildest dreams. He wasn't prepared. He was two years older than her, for heaven's sake. He suddenly had the urge to go back to China and strangle his sister right away.  
  
And those eyes... How he missed those eyes! Those aqua eyes that were staring at him in utmost shock and obvious irritation... He just found himself mesmerized; found himself staring back... Staring back at those aqua eyes he thought he'd see only in his dreams.  
  
He couldn't forget that one bizarre moment. Him staring at her in shock and fascination, and her, sending dagger-like stares in his direction... That's when he finally admitted it to himself.  
  
He was in love,  
  
Definitely in love,  
  
With a certain blue-haired girl,  
  
Pirika.  
  
So, where's the ring?  
  
The sound of his cellphone ringing snapped him out of it.  
  
"This is harder than we thought." Yoh stretched his arms. "Who ever thought that setting up Pirika and Ren would be like taking an algebra and trigonometry test at the same time?"  
  
"They can't stay together in a room for barely a minute without arguing." Manta said. "They actually ended in the principal's office for the third time this week."  
  
Horo-Horo grinned. "Do I see signs of giving up?"  
  
Hao grinned back. "We hated to disappoint you, Horo-Horo, but we still have a long way to go."  
  
Horo-Horo was obviously disappointed.  
  
"I wonder what would happen if we locked those two in a cold, cold room, overnight?" Chocolove sneered. "We just have to depend on hormones, eh?" This earned him a double smack from Anna and Tamao. Yoh laughed.  
  
"Hentai!" They hissed at the same time.  
  
"Don't even think about it." Horo-Horo snapped.  
  
Tamao frowned. "You know, what bothers me is the fact that Ren and Pirika were friends, were once friends."  
  
"Yeah, in fact they were even closer than friends." Lyserg smiled. "After the Shaman Fight, those two seemed to have developed a bond, you know, a typical brother-sister relationship."  
  
"Ren sees Pirika as a little sister, a kind of sister he never had." Anna added. "He was always ready to protect her. Remember the time Pirika got lost in Patch Village? It was Ren who found her."  
  
"Pirika admired Ren, more like a brother, and Horo-Horo here," Manta glanced at Horo-Horo, "Entrusted Ren with his sister."  
  
Chocolove smirked, remembering the tricks he pulled on the couple. "I used to tease them about getting married someday."  
  
"Then suddenly it was gone." Yoh sighed. "They acted as though they never knew each other."  
  
"What happened, then?" Hao wondered. This is getting more and more interesting...  
  
Everyone turned to Jeanne, who merely shrugged. Lyserg had told her of the "plan" and she had agreed to help them whenever she can. "I know I'm her best friend, but I don't really know. All I know is that Pirika hated him for pathetic reasons, like the fact that Ren always annoyed her, contradicted every answer she gave during class discussions..."  
  
"He did that?" Horo-Horo exclaimed. Jeanne nodded, with a smile.  
  
"Too vague, really." Jeanne continued, "I know Pirika, and she's hiding something. Yet, she refused to talk about it. She avoided the topic."  
  
"So, the first thing we do is to find out what happened to ruined that special relationship." Manta began jotting down notes in his notebook, purposely bought for the project.  
  
Horo-Horo sighed. "You are all wasting your time. Believe me... They've been acting like that for..." He hesitated. "Five years." They all exchanged troubled looks. "I tried to solve the mystery, but to no avail." Tense silence followed.  
  
"Five years?" Yoh choked. "They've been acting like that for five years?"  
  
"Yup, five years." Horo-Horo smiled. "I don't blame you for not noticing, I mean, they've been playing it cool and safe, especially Pirika. She's been rather careful in avoiding Ren. " With an encouraging nod from the others, he continued. "I haven't noticed at first, but then things started to become different. I'm Ren's best friend and Pirika's brother, so I soon noticed, like the fact that Pirika was never home whenever Ren was around. At first I thought it was merely coincidence, but as the months passed by, it was becoming more and more apparent. Pirika was obviously avoiding him. She never came every time Ren invited us for a vacation in China. She spends Christmas with my tribe every time Ren was spending his here."  
  
"But Pirika said..."  
  
Horo-Horo chuckled, cutting Manta off. "My sister is pretty good in making up excuses, don't you think?"  
  
"Pirika is making everything up?" Jeanne sounded astounded. "All those stuff about your aunt being sick, they're not true?"  
  
"Partly." Horo-Horo frowned. "So I guess it didn't occur to you that it is somewhat funny that my aunt suddenly is sick whenever Ren was around?"  
  
"Ren-osis..." Chocolove muttered, laughing to himself. Everyone else sweat- dropped.  
  
"Have you tried talking to Ren about it?" Anna firmly asked.  
  
"Obviously, yes, but Ren doesn't have a clue why. That's why he's been trying to catch my sister all these years, trying to get an answer, but Pirika is always one step ahead of him. Not this time, though. Pirika didn't expect any of this school stuff, and I think, neither did Ren."  
  
"What about Pirika?" Yoh asked.  
  
"My little sister cunningly denied everything, said it was all pure coincidences. She was never a good liar, you know, I'm not blind. She even reprimanded me for being nosy, and added thirty pounds to my weights as punishment. So I dropped the subject."  
  
Hao narrowed his eyes, "When do you think this started?"  
  
Horo-Horo was silent, appeared to be lost in thought. "I think the day Ren left for China five years ago. She never showed up in the airport to see Ren off."  
  
"Wait, the night before Ren left, the two of them were doing fine." Tamao recalled, "They even decided to have a picnic, considering the weather! I remember Pirika getting excited about it, asking Ren and all! Ren was against it at first, saying it was stupid having a picnic in an almost freezing night. They got into an argument, and as expected, Pirika won. Ren never seemed to get his way around Pirika." She added, with a smile.  
  
"How ironic, isn't it?" Horo-Horo said bitterly, "One moment they were going along fine, still having picnic and all, then the next day, becoming far worse than enemies. Everything changed after..." He stopped dead in tracks as what he was going to say finally hit him. "Everything changed after that night... After that picnic..."  
  
Silence.  
  
"What happened that night?" Lyserg's voice was calm, yet it couldn't be denied that he was intrigued by the turn of events. "What happened that night they had their picnic?"  
  
"Rape?" Chocolove suggested. As usual, a smack from Anna.  
  
"I don't know." Horo-Horo honestly replied, ignoring Chocolove for the first time. "Pirika took off very early the next day, so I didn't get the chance to talk to her. Besides, how am I to know that I was supposed to know what happened that night? I didn't know yet about the raving tension between them."  
  
"So all we have to do is find out what happened that night." Jeanne frowned. "But how are we supposed to know that?"  
  
"Pirika and Ren won't surely talk." Tamao added.  
  
'Wait!" Horo-Horo exclaimed, "I remember something. Remember the day Ren left for China? He insisted on waiting for Pirika even in the last minute. Then before he boarded the plane, he handed me a letter, and asked me to give it to Pirika, he even made me swore that I'll give it to her. He sounded almost desperate... I heard him say that the letter would explain everything..."  
  
"Explain everything?" Manta repeated.  
  
"Did you give Pirika the letter?" Anna asked.  
  
"Of course!" Horo-Horo quickly replied. "I gave it the moment she came back a month later. She looked shocked at first. I didn't know what happened after, even to the letter. I'm not even sure she read it."  
  
Yoh sighed, for the second time. "What do we do now?"  
  
"Easy." Hao grinned devilishly. "We'll just have to kill two birds with one stone."  
  
He began telling them of his plan...  
  
"You wanted to celebrate your birthday here?!" Ren cried in surprise... "Why here?"  
  
He moved his cellphone away from his ear as his sister started yelling at him in return. "What do you mean why there? And don't go shouting at your sister like that in the line!"  
  
"Fine, sorry." Ren calmly replied, "So, why here?" He heard his sister scowl, "I mean, you can celebrate it there, and I can just go back there, right?"  
  
"I wanted the gang to be there on my birthday." Ren sensed excitement in his sister's voice. "I haven't seen them for ages! Besides, I'm not asking your permission about it, I'm simply telling you, Ren Tao."  
  
He narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Nee-san, what do you mean you're simply telling me?"  
  
"I've got everything arranged! In a first class hotel..." His sister started telling him about all the arrangements... It figures... "So be sure everyone goes, even Pirika!"  
  
Even Pirika? He knew that tone...it was a very familiar tone... He sighed. "Nee- san, is this one of your pathetic matchmaking tricks again?"  
  
"Of course, not! I just missed the girl that's all... I haven't seen her for years... " Jun Tao defensively replied, "What made you even think I was setting you up? His brother wouldn't even approve of it!" Makes sense, he thought... "And don't you even dare call my matchmaking pathetic! I'm doing this all for you..."  
  
Uh-oh, not that speech again... "Whatever. I got the point, Nee-san."  
  
"So, I have to go Ren. I'll just call you again, okay? Take care of yourself... Don't forget to..."  
  
"I'm not a little boy anymore, Nee-san." Ren impatiently said.  
  
"I'm just being a concerned sister! Anyway, bye..." He heard his sister hang up.  
  
Ren groaned. His sister is going to celebrate her 21st birthday here... What was she thinking?  
  
He could sense that Jun is up to something, and he happened to trust his instincts. They were never wrong...  
  
The question is: what was it?  
  
Be sure everyone goes, even Pirika...  
  
Ren vigorously shook his head in frustration. He had enough things to think about, like this essay for example. He'll worry about his sister's party later...  
  
Crap...  
  
What does he care about the essence of a certain form of literature? And the damn essay had to be six pages... What kind of essay is that?  
  
Then there was Pirika...  
  
Aarrgh...  
  
What a life...  
  
What a damn, miserable life...  
  
"Bason!" Ren yelled, "Get me a bottle of sake!"  
  
Just review, okay? Why was Pirika mad at Ren? You'll know... I'm revealing the details slowly...  
  
Expect late updates... I'm busy lately... 


	7. 7

Okay, here's the long-awaited chapter... Thanks for the reviews, guys... Hope you all like it...

Entrapment

Chapter Seven

All for the Love of Ice Creams

Pirika tapped her fingers impatiently. That freak... That weirdo... Where was he? They were supposed to meet here an hour ago! She tried calling his cellphone, but only the voice mail answered. Aarrggh...

She ordered another bowl of chocolate chip ice cream sundae, which happened to be her fourth one. Hey, who cares about ice creams making you fat?

All she cared for was what she would do to a certain spiky-haired freak the moment she saw him...

Talk about perfect timing... An eased-looking Ren Tao entered the ice-cream parlor. He even had enough guts to smile and say hi.

"Hey... Sorry I'm late..."

Pirika merely glared at him.

Ren smiled. "So, what's up?" He took the seat across Pirika. "Have you ordered yet?" As if to answer his question, the waitress appeared and placed Pirika's fourth chocolate chip ice cream sundae. "Ah, I'll have... Chocolate sundae topped with nuts and cherries..."

"_Chocolate sundae topped with nuts and cherries!" Pirika cheerfully replied when Tamao asked her what she was planning for dessert._

"_Ice-cream?" Tamao frowned. "Won't it melt?"_

"_Nope! That's Ren's favorite ice cream... And... it's freezing outside, and the park was just a block away from here..."_

_She was really looking forward to this picnic... Tamao thought. I wonder if Ren had already told her he was leaving for China tomorrow... Tamao sighed. Pirika... _

"_So, Tamao-san, would you help me wrap these rice balls?"_

Pirika shook her head. Not again... She focused instead on doing what she had been doing earlier... Glaring at a certain Ren Tao... "Do you know that I've been waiting here for an hour already?"

"Ah, yeah?" Ren sheepishly smiled. "I had a last minute meeting with the organizer..."

"Again?"

That had been the mere reason why they haven't finished their project yet. Ren had told Pirika about the party, and how the meetings with the organizers would conflict with the completion of their project. So after another argument, they had agreed on one thing. They would finish the project the day before the party itself, which happened to be today. Did Pirika mention what the hell they were working about? It was all about childhood love and crushes... Ren suppressed a smirk when he learned about that, and Professor Tomo might as well die from the looks Pirika had given him that day.

The psychology of childhood love and crushes... Duh!!

"Look, Pirika, I didn't know it would last that long. I thought it would last only for ten to fifteen minutes..."

"Ten to fifteen minutes, I don't care... You're still late, and heck, you should have called!"

Ren showed her his cellphone. "No battery."

"Well, you should have used a damn phone or anything!"

Ren sighed. He always knew he wouldn't win an argument with girls, especially with someone like Pirika. God... What did he actually see in the girl? "Look, I'm sorry, okay... Now, eat your ice-cream, and after I finished mine, we'll go, okay?"

Pirika snorted, and took another scoop of her ice cream. Ah... It was a wonder how ice cream really calmed her nerves...

Silence reigned between the two of them. The waitress arrived and placed Ren's order. Ren started eating.

Pirika was done. She dabbed her lips with the napkin. "Where's Bason?"

"In the car, waiting..."

"Well, hurry up so that we could go and start the project."

Ren scowled. "Fine." He took another scoop then set the ice cream aside. He asked for the bill. "You had four bowls of chocolate chip sundae?"

Pirika flushed. "It was your fault! You made me wait."

"Fine." Ren reached for his pockets to get his wallet. He blinked. He removed his coat and searched along the side pockets. None... He stood, and searched once again... Oh, shit...

"What's the matter?" Pirika slowly asked, praying to the heavens that what she thought wasn't happening.

"Do you have some extra cash?" Ren timidly asked. "I think I forgot my wallet."

Silence.

"What!" Pirika shook her head, rummaging through her handbag, bringing out her wallet. She seldom brought little money with her, but, hey, curse Lady Luck, for that seldom happened to include today. "It's not enough." She counted her bills. She could only pay half of the amount. She turned to Ren, panic-stricken. "What should we do?"

Ren scowled. "Why are you asking me? Did I eat four bowls of sundae?"

"Are you blaming me?" Pirika snapped back. "If you haven't arrived late..."

"You could have waited for me, eating only at least a bowl, you know." Ren rummaged through his clothes once again, hoping, praying, that it was somewhere there.

"If you only had enough memory cells not to forget your wallet, then..."

Five minutes later, Pirika walked out of the store to Ren's car, asking Bason if he had some cash, or if he had seen his stupid freak master's wallet somewhere. Bason replied with a quick no. Pirika stormed back to the store, very furious. "He didn't see it."

"Go back home, Pirika... Try calling the gang... Maybe they..."

"They're out of town, Ren. Onii-san took the key with him. " Pirika cut in, "Did you really have a memory lapse or something?"

Ren and Pirika tried to talk to the owner about the problem, asking the old lady if they could first pay half of the bill, and then pay the remaining half tomorrow.

"No." The old lady stiffly replied. "Policies are policies. You need to pay, or I'll call the police."

The thought of getting arrested and thrown in jail for not paying an ice-cream bill sent Pirika to the end of her wits. "Is there another way that we could pay you?"

"There is another way." The old lady's eyes glinted as she spoke those words. She pointed at the poster posted on one of the glass windows.

Funny, how both Ren and Pirika never noticed the poster before, but as soon as both of them finished reading what it said...

"Shit..." Pirika quietly muttered. Ren looked at her, pretty much amused by how things were going, wondering what the hell would she do now.

Wow... How he really loved the way those aqua eyes glared at him... So... intensifying...

"Miss..." Pirika sweetly said, controlling her voice, and temper at the same time. "He's really my boyfriend...I love him very much." She softly emphasized on the last words. She inched closer to him, and clung to his arm. "Right, honey?" Pirika looked at him, and smiled, leaning her head against his chest in the process.

Ren smiled back, making sure to engrave in his mind the way had Pirika looked at him, cooperate-or-I'll-kill-you look, yet with a trace of sweetness and somewhat sincerity... A somewhat convincing look of love... And the smile... Hell... How he missed that one. The way Pirika's lips would form the perfect smile...

The girl was indeed a very good liar... Come to think of it, he himself almost believed the words she said... The way she softly muttered those words... Somehow, he was lost... Just staring at her eyes... Locked by her smile...

Pirika's hold on him became firm, urging him to say something. Ren shrugged. If this was the way she wanted it, then so be it... "In fact, I just found myself falling for her again and again..." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her much closer to him. "And I don't even know why..." He gently whispered in her ear, but still loud enough for the old lady to hear. He absent-mindedly held her hand.

Which was true... Ren didn't even know why... Why he had always been in love with the blue-haired girl.... Why years had passed and he still couldn't forget her... Why he was falling for Pirika again and again...

Pirika gasp. She hated to admit it, but those words somewhat sent weird sensations down her spine... And damn it... They were too close... Much too close... She could feel his breath tickling her cheeks... The smell of his aftershave, making her weak, dizzy... The gentle hold he had on her hand... Damn it... This damn show had gone a little too far...

Pirika knew she started it... Even said those three words... So honestly, softly, so honestly, that she surprised even herself... It felt like the most natural thing in the world... Everything felt so right...

Damn it...

Pirika turned to look at the old lady, to see whether their little charade convinced her. All for the love of ice cream...

The old lady rolled her eyes. "Yeah, sweet... Pretty convincing... But there's still one last thing to do..."

Pirika and Ren blinked. What else do they have to do to convince the lady that they were a couple and were eligible for a 50 discount on ice cream?

The old lady pointed her fingers to her lips and smiled...

Pirika and Ren immediately got the message.

"A kiss?" Pirika whispered weakly.

Ren shrugged. "A kiss..." And before Pirika could further react, he spun the girl, held her firmly in the waist, and sealed her lips with his own.

Look at the twist of faith... The party organizer had disturbed him that morning, he was an hour late with his meeting with Pirika, had a shouting spree with the girl, forgot his wallet, nearly got arrested, and now look at what the hell was happening...

He was gently moving his lips against Pirika's...

All because of ice creams...

Life was indeed full of surprises...

Ren pulled away and let go of Pirika. "So was that enough?"

The old lady nodded, and punched the registrar. "Congratulations, you now had a 50 discount on your bill."

Pirika was still in a daze as she paid for the bill, while Ren waited outside. The girl was still quiet as they rode to the park, where they agreed to finish their project.

By sundown, they were almost through. Ren read through the paper they had written. "Wow, it was good... Organized... Speaking from experiences?" he joked.

"_You're really crazy, you know that?" Ren shook his head, as he wrapped his shawl around his neck and put on his coat. He stared at the blue-haired girl, and sighed. "What made you decide to have a picnic in this freezing weather? It was practically snowing outside, and do you even care?"_

_Pirika pouted. "Oh come on, Ren, it would be fun!"_

_Fun! Ren took Pirika's coat from the closet and helped her wore it. "Yeah, fun. Whatever." It would be fun getting killed by your brother._

"_Thanks." Pirika fixed her hair. "Besides, you agreed!"_

"_As if I have a choice," Ren took the picnic basket. "Why is this so heavy?"_

"_Stop complaining, will you!"_

_Ren offered his arm to Pirika. "Come on, let's get this over with..." He saw the girl smile. "I have something to tell you..." He continued softly. _

"Shut up, Ren." Pirika coldly replied as she fixed all the mess they made. "I'm not in the mood for jokes right now."

What was left now to finish was their opinions or personal reflections about the topic. Pirika decided that it would be best if they finished it on their own. Ren nodded. He then politely asked Pirika if she wanted an ice cream cone. While they were working, he sent Bason to find his wallet, and ordered that the spirit wouldn't appear unless he found it.

"Damn you." Pirika glared and stomped off, leaving an amused Ren.

Ren shrugged. "Poor Pirika... Trauma on ice creams."

They ate dinner at a nearby restaurant, and Pirika nearly had a heart attack when Ren ordered two chocolate sundaes topped with nuts and cherries for dessert. Ren was grinning like a fool, while Pirika was silently glaring at him, as they finished their dessert.

They were already on their way home when Pirika regained her senses. When it dawned into her that she had been kissed by one arrogant freak... Damn it. That was her first kiss... She started blushing crimson. Ren felt her discomfort, and asked what was the problem. Pirika just rolled her eyes.

You are the problem... Freak...

"Here we are." Ren said, stopping the car. "Home sweet home." He got out and held the door for Pirika.

"Thanks." Pirika muttered. She immediately got out. "Looks like the gang is already here."

"Yeah, I think so." Ren shrugged, and turned to Pirika. "Just tell them I'll see them tomorrow at the party, got that?"

"You won't come in?"

Ren shook his head. "No need..." He headed towards the car, opening the door.

"Ren... Wait..."

Ren turned.

"Do you want a good night kiss?" Pirika softly asked, her eyes glinting mischievously.

Ren blinked. "What did you say?"

Pirika smiled. "I asked you if you want a good night kiss."

"What?" Was he dreaming? Did Pirika just ask him for a good night kiss? Shrugging all his thoughts aside, he approached Pirika. Maybe ice creams really have that kissing effect on the girl. "A good night kiss? Why not?"

Pirika grinned, slowly closing in the distance between them. "Why don't you close your eyes?"

Ren obeyed and closed his eyes...

A hard fist came in contact with his right cheek a few seconds later.

That's what you get for kissing me... "Good night, freak!" Pirika cheerfully called, retreating from Ren.

Ren scowled, rubbing his jaw. "Good night, Pirika."

As soon, as Pirika unlocked the door, Horo-Horo burst outside. "Look, who's here. Where have you been young lady?"

"Hmm." Pirika replied.

"What happened to you?" Horo-Horo asked Ren.

"Iron fist... You know what that means?"

Horo-Horo laughed. Hao then appeared, followed by Yoh.

"Want to come with us?" Hao smirked. "Just some drinks... I know you need it..."

"Yeah, sure..." Ren replied. "Hop in..."

They arrived at the bar fifteen minutes later. They had a table, and started ordering some drinks.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Yoh asked, scratching his head.

Hao smiled. "Relax." He downed another tonic. "Dearest sister-in-law, herself, gave the go-signal for it."

After another series of drinks and tonics, Hao straightened up and smirked. Sure, it took really a long time to get Ren drunk, but nevertheless, the spiky-haired man was now grinning like crazy, and seriously cracking some jokes, ala-Chocolove way.

"Now, Ren, start talking...."

There has been a slight problem regarding my Internet connection... :( I don't think I can update itsumo and Once upon a time... this week...

I'll update them... don't worry...

Thanks...

yeah, what's the name of Ren's parents?


	8. 8

AN: Wow! School is over a week ago! I finally graduated! Yaay! Bye highschool! Sorry if this took some time... Thanks to all my reviewers! Yeah… If you want, leave your email in your review, so I can email and notify you whenever I update. Oh yeah, how can I upload a new anime category? Please tell me! I want to add UFO Baby (Daa! Daa! Daa!) to the anime list. I wonder why there's no category here in and I'm a Miyu/Kanata fan! Oh, well… Read on…

**Entrapment**

Chapter Eight

Truce

_Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut._

Ren tossed. Where the hell was that sound coming from? He covered his head with a pillow, in an attempt to get rid of the annoying sound.

_Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut._

There was it again. Ren groaned. What was it with people? And who had enough guts to disturb his sleep? Ren rolled off the bed, and after a curse or two, gave up, and rose from the bed. Now, where the hell was that damn cell phone? Ouch! His head hurt…

_Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut._

Ren had practically thrown everything on the floor to look for the damn cell phone. He had tossed his newly washed clothes, turned over the damn cabinets, thrown every damn book on the floor… Nothing!

_Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut._

Aarrggh! And that sound was getting to his nerves! Ren grumbled his hair in frustration. And his head wasn't helping either.

"Damn this life!" He started to yell to no one in particular. "Damn this head! Damn that cell phone! Damn that…"

Ren blinked. He suddenly remembered. He walked over to his bed, the only part of the room he didn't mess up. He tossed his pillows aside.

_Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut. Tut._

Right. His damn cell phone was right under his pillow. He can really be stupid sometimes.

Ren growled. It was his sister. "Hello?"

"Ren? Thank heavens… Where have you been? "

Good question. Where had he been? Jeez… This head… An image of a blue-haired girl flashed in his mind.

Pirika?

"I've been calling you for hours… No answer… I was so worried, do you know that?" His sister rambled.

Oh yeah… Project… The Ice cream trauma… The Iron Fist… Ren laughed, rubbing his right cheek.

This only made the person on the other line extremely nervous. It wasn't every day that you hear your brother laughing for no reason at all on the phone. "Ren, are you okay? Are you even listening to me?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Considering the fact that his head was sober due to a hangover (He vaguely remembered having a few drinks with Hao), he was woken up from a peaceful slumber because of an annoying cell phone, he messed up his room trying to find the infamous cell phone, and now the talk with his sister, pretty close to remembering what had actually happened last night, he still managed to say that he was fine.

"Have you been drinking again?"

"Ahh... Just a bit, I guess... So why did you call, Nee-san?"

"Oh, yeah." The person cheerfully replied. A bit too cheerful... "Listen, I called because of Pirika..."

Pirika? What did she do this time?

"You see, she called earlier to tell me that she couldn't go to my party tonight..."

Party tonight? Oh shit. "Nee-san, I'm very sorry! I forgot! Happy Birthday!"

"Hey... It's all right... Hangovers... I understand... Anyway, about Pirika... She said she isn't going to the party tonight!"

Ren groaned. "So?" Trust him to care. Right.

"Ren!" Jun shrieked. "I haven't seen the girl for ages!"

"Nee-san," Ren replied calmly, "You're going to have a two-week stay here in Japan."

"But Ren! I want the girl present on my birthday! To think of, I haven't seen the girl for five years..."

Ren didn't say anything. Somehow, he recognized that feeling, six months ago.

"I wonder if she was avoiding us for one reason or the other... What do you think, Ren?"

Ren shouted out a defensive reply. "How the hell would I know?"

"I was merely asking if you have noticed the same thing! And don't you dare shout at me on the line!"

"Err... What was the excuse she gave this time, Nee-san?"

"She's sick... Flu, fever or something..."

"But what if she's really sick?"

"Ren!"

"Okay, Okay. So what do you want me to do?" But somehow, Ren didn't have to ask.

"Make her come. Please..."

Oh no, Ren thought. Not again. Not this weakness!

"Ren... please... After all, it's my birthday..."

No! Nee-san! Stop!

"Consider this as my birthday present... My best birthday present… Ren, will you do it? Please?" Jun asked, sweetly.

He would not give in. He would not say yes. He would not...

"Fine!" Ren finally replied. Damn his too soft spot for his sister.

"Good! So, I'll see you in three hours, okay? I have to go... I still have to pick up our parents from the airport."

In three hours? But that meant... Ren silently cursed as he stared blankly at the clock. It's 3 pm! He actually slept upto 3 pm! Wow!

"Ren, are you still on the line?"

"Yeah, I'm still here..."

"Don't forget your promise, okay? Bye!"

Click.

Ren stared at his cell phone. Promise? But he didn't promise anything!

Oh, well... He had to move now. But first, he had to take a shower, and some aspirins, to get rid of this damn hang over.

And where was Bason when you needed him? Aarrgh...

An hour later, an extremely annoyed Ren Tao left his apartment, in pursuit of Pirika.

Pirika coughed, and sneezed, as the flu was getting the better of her. "Damn it." She cursed as she walked over to the medicine cabinet.

Just the perfect time to get sick. She should be in Jun's party, with the people close enough to be called her family, having fun, instead of hanging out in this boring apartment. Pirika felt sorry for the woman when she called earlier to tell her she's not going.

"_But Pirika, I haven't seen you in ages!"_

True, she really wanted to go, but she was not that selfish enough not to consider that if she went, she might be able to infect all the guests with her virus. No, thanks.

Going to Jun's party would also mean seeing that spiky-haired freak… No way…

Speaking of the freak, she still couldn't believe that she actually let him kiss her yesterday, just because of some silly ice cream bill.

Pirika touched her lips. It was her first kiss damn it, and if her brother found out… Oh no… That would only spell trouble. Her brother was over-protective and paranoid enough, that it won't be surprising if her brother demanded Ren to marry her just because of one kiss.

She almost ended up vomiting in the toilet when images of them getting married, of her reproducing Ren-s in this world, flashed in her mind.

And to think of it… Maybe it was the kiss' fault that she was this sick! Maybe Ren had some virus or something, and it transferred when the freak kissed her… Gross…

Pirika was about to swallow the tablet she took from the medicine cabinet, when she heard a knock on her door. She frowned. Who could it be? Her brother left just minutes ago to fetch Tamao. Everyone else would be preparing for the party.

But as she opened the door, somehow she wasn't that surprised.

It was Ren Tao.

Although she felt almost nauseus, Pirika mustered her best glare, as much as possible.

Ren almost felt sorry for the blue-haired girl when she opened the door. This wasn't any joke. The girl was really sick! What was her sister thinking? Pirika looked feverished, and tired. Her eyes were watery, and her cheeks, flushed. It would do her good to rest at this time.

"What are you doing here?"

Ren almost chuckled. Somehow, being sick did not hinder Pirika from hating him, and aiming at him the best glare possible. "Can I come in?"

Pirika seemed to hesitate, but she motioned for him to come in. Once inside, Ren sat on the couch, while Pirika took her medicine. Once finished, she asked. "So? State your business. I want to rest."

"Nee-san wanted you to go to her party…" Ren calmly replied.

She frowned. "But I already called her and told her that I'm sick. So, why are you here?"

"She really wanted you to go, so she asked me to take you."

"But I can't go, Ren! I'm sick! Surely, she understands that?"

Ren didn't say anything.

"Oh, now I know." Pirika angrily said, "Maybe you thought that this was all a joke… That I'm not really sick… So you decided to check, huh? What? Am I that low now, Ren?"

Ren snickered. "You can't blame us for thinking that this was just one of your plays… You did put up an incredible show for the last five years, right, Pirika?"

"And why would I not want to go to your sister's party, huh, Ren?" She snapped back.

"Because you're avoiding me." The answer came quick, short and simple.

Pirika gave a short laugh. "I'm avoiding you?"

"Don't you dare deny it." It was Ren's turn to be angry this time. "And now that we're on the issue, maybe we should settle this once and for all. Pirika, why the hell are you avoiding me?" He smirked. "Unluckily, others, aside from me, have noticed your five-year escapade."

Pirika winced. "And what has my five-year escapade got to do with Jun's party tonight? Tell me!"

"We're getting no where…" Ren sighed, looking at Pirika. "Look, Pirika, I'm tired."

"I'm tired too, so let's do both ourselves a favor. You saw that I was really sick, now get out. Tell your sister that I'm really sick, and I promise I'll see her the moment I get well." She let out an irritated cough.

"I'm afraid not, Pirika. You're going to the party, whether you like it or not."

Pirika rose up to the challenge. "Make me."

Ren smirked. "If I have to drag and carry you out and chain you to the car, just so that you could go, I would do it, Pirika, and I will."

"How dare you! You freak! Do that and you're dead!"

Ren stood, his features softening, as he met the glare of the blue-haired girl. "Pirika, you need to go, and I'm sorry that you're sick but you really have to go. My sister made me promise that you would go, even telling me that you going would be the best birthday gift she would receive. I don't know why she was making this a big deal, but hell, who cares? Pirika, you know that I love my sister, and today is her birthday. I don't want to disappoint her. So please, go…"

Pirika didn't respond.

"Let's make a deal. We'll just stay there for an hour or so. After you talked to her, whatever, or anytime you wished, I'd take you home. I won't even bother you for a month. Just go."

"Is this a truce?" Pirika asked. Ren nodded. She smiled softly. "Okay, I'll go."

Ren smiled back before glancing back at his watch. "I'll give you 15 minutes to prepare. Don't take anything… I'll buy you a new dress, and the stuff. I still have to pick up my suit, anyway."

"You're being nice lately…"

Ren shrugged. "We're on a truce, remember?"

"Whatever… Then ask for forgiveness! Because of the kiss last night, I got sick. You may have some viruses or something! Yuck! " Pirika hurried down the hall to get her things.

Ren rolled his eyes. If he was surprised that Pirika acknowledged the fact that the kiss did happen, he didn't show it. "Idiot. You got sick because of eating too many ice creams."

"Hey! I heard that!"

End of Chapter.

Was it too short? Yaay! I have to cut it short, if I continued on with the next scenes, I'll be reaching 20+ pages!

Don't forget to review! Next chapter! The choosing of the dress and all that stuff! Itsumo is on hold… I think… I'll finish and update the next chapter of Entrapment first before I can work on that one.

I think I can try to update by next week… I'll try, okay?


	9. 9

**Entrapment**

Chapter Nine

Silly Distractions

"Who's driving?" Pirika asked once she saw the faded blue BMW parked before them.

Ren grunted, and as if to answer her question, he turned to unlock the driver's door and got in. From inside, he unlocked the other door, and motioned for the blue-haired girl to get in.

Pirika merely stood still.

Ren glared at her as he rolled down the car window. "If you are expecting me to be a perfect gentleman and open the door for you, then you can dream on, young lady."

Pirika crossed her arms and glared back. Her mouth slightly opened to retort that Ren was never a gentleman to begin with, much less perfect, but decided against it. Not that she did expect him to open the car door for her, anyway.

They remained like that, the dark haired man glaring intensely, and the blue-haired girl, more than eager to return the look with equal fervor, engaged in a fiery battle of wills.

He didn't have time for this. Ren cursed as he got out of the car, and heavily held the door ajar for Pirika. He reminded himself that this would be the last time that he would bend to the wishes of the girl with lovely blue eyes, and that they were in a truce, he might as well honor it.

The said girl didn't even budge, and to add fuel to his brewing rage, Ren saw, unmistakably, a hint of amusement, or surprise, or both, that graced Pirika's lovely blue eyes, before they settled back to glaring at him.

Right. He just said Pirika's eyes were lovely. Twice. Again. Why couldn't he just ignore them?

Focusing all his energy to the task at hand, and that was, to bring Pirika to his sister's party, honor a month-long truce, with no distracting emotions attached, Ren once more glared at Pirika.

"Get. In. The. Car. Now!"

If Pirika had any idea what was going on behind those flashing amber eyes, she did not show it. She was, after all, wise enough to just keep her lips firmly sealed, and not do anything about it.

"Pirika," Ren spoke exasperatedly, as he finally had an idea of what was really going on. "I'm 18, which makes me driving legal enough. I learned to drive well before I was 14, and I could assure you that my professors taught me well." Before he could continue rambling that he passed the driver's examination last year with flying colors, he noticed a figure brushed lightly before him.

Pirika, finally, got in the car.

Ren breathed a sign of relief, and he closed the door, gently this time, before he himself got in.

The tense silence that followed was consummating.

Ren opened his mouth to speak, but already felt a pair of eyes on him, and barely heard the issued statement.

"I thought we were in a hurry."

Ren nodded, and started the ignition. After a while, he turned to look at the girl sitting beside him. "You could have asked me you know."

The statement came softer than expected. Ren had every right to be angry. They wasted precious time back there, not to mention that those darn eyes distracted him, and now, the girl had enough guts to say that they should hurry. Pirika should have just asked whether he was capable and responsible enough to drive, should have trusted him enough, rather than wasted time glaring back at him.

_It was your fault too_, a soft voice inside his head said.

_You should have asked Pirika what was wrong instead of intimidating her into glaring back at you. After all, you assumed that it was because of "gentleman" duties. The girl was sick, for goodness' sake, and you did persuade her to come with you, and the least thing you could do is to open the door for her, and explain perfectly that you are to be trusted enough to drive._

Ren was spared from further "inner admonishment" when Pirika shrugged and answered him.

"Sorry." There was a hesitant pause. "But I did ask, you know…"

Pirika turned to look at him, and once more, he found himself staring back, and being distracted, again, by those lovely blue eyes. Not to mention that this time, Pirika was smiling at him.

Enough! Ren turned away. "Whatever." He stepped on the pedal. Enough time was wasted.

But Pirika wasn't done. "Thanks, anyway…"

"For what?" Ren asked, resisting the urge to turn his eyes away from the road, to look back once more, at Pirika.

"For opening the car door for me. Honestly speaking, I never expected you to."

Even though, he was concentrated on the road, he knew that Pirika was grinning at him. He grinned back. "I could be a perfect gentleman if I want to, you know."

"Whatever. Nice car, anyway."

"Thanks."

And that was it…

The rest of the trip passed in silence. Pirika, for her part, was contemplating the events that had happened recently. So many things had happened, in so little time. Like the fact that here she was, sitting in silence, in the car of the man she promised to avoid at all cost…

Avoid, before things took a nastier turn…

But for the last 48 hours, she had spent time with him more than ever, as if to compensate for the last five or so years that she had not seen him. Damn it, Ren even kissed her hard on the lips yesterday. Nor did she expected him to barge into her apartment, demanded her to go to Jun's party, and formed a truce with her in desperation, after she punched him last night.

Pirika didn't like to admit it, but she was enjoying the attention. She enjoyed his company, especially yesterday, and she wasn't supposed to enjoy it. She avoided him for five years, and then this? All those escapades turned to waste because of this?

She wouldn't allow that. After all, she did know that prolonging moments like these would bring her back to square one. The way she felt whenever those amber eyes would somehow turn to look at her was evidence enough. She knew. She noticed. Her defenses were slowly crumbling down.

Nor did she fail to notice that Ren, somehow, was avoiding her eyes. He would look at her, yes, but he would turn away, looking as if he regretted looking at her. Ren seemed edgy, and distracted, lately. And whenever she did have the chance to properly look at him, she could see something hidden beneath those orbs. Something even she couldn't read, or refused to read.

Like now… Ren was looking at her, like _that_… Then he turned away.

Pirika gulped. It seemed like for a second, she saw something she refused to understand.

Was it because of her? Was he distracted because of her? Did he feel the same way?

No. Get a grip on yourself, Pirika, she told herself. She remembered what had happened five years ago.

Ren didn't feel the same way.

He was distracted because of the party. Yes, everything was because of the party. They were running late. She, meanwhile, was distracted because of… the paper… Yes, the paper both of them had been working on… She had time to read it last night, and found out that they had overlooked some details. Minor details, but crucial nonetheless to the topic.

What they were feeling right now wasn't because of _that_…

"Are you okay?"

Pirika quickly turned her head to look at him. "Huh?"

Ren grunted. "I was asking if you are okay." He quickly looked at her, before turning his eyes back to the road. "You looked feverish or something. Was it the fever again?"

_There was it again_. Pirika breathed in. "I'm fine… I was just thinking…"

The traffic light turned red. Pirika barely had time to continue what she had been saying when she felt warmth on her forehead. It seemed like she forgot to breathe. Then, it was gone.

"Then don't think a lot. It seemed like thinking is bad for you."

Pirika opened her mouth to retort, but none came. The fact that Ren put his hand on her forehead didn't sink in just yet… But damn it, why was she feeling this way? Her pulse was racing, heat filled her cheeks, and her heart felt like pounding against her ribcage. Ren merely put his hand on her forehead to check if she had a fever. There was absolutely nothing special about it.

She heard a faint snicker.

"You are allowed to breathe, Pirika."

Pirika felt herself blush, and thank god, Ren didn't see it. The traffic light just turned green, and Ren's eyes were back on the road, as he made a left turn…

A left turn? Wait a minute…

"Where are we going?" Pirika pointed on the right side of the road. "Ren, the hotel's that way."

"Do you honestly think I would let you burst into my sister's party wearing just that?" Ren grunted. "We needed to buy you a dress, remember?"

"You don't have to." Pirika replied as she straightened her skirt and adjusted her blouse. "What I'm wearing is…"

"Decent, yes, but not appropriate." Ren finished for her. "Pirika, we're supposed to wear something formal, and what you're wearing doesn't even meet half of it."

"But I don't have enough money to buy a dress. Plus, we don't have much time."

"I'm picking up my suit, and we could buy something appropriate from there. I supposed it would only take us half an hour." Ren checked his watch. "Nee-san expected us to be late anyway, and don't start on the dress. It's on me, okay?"

For the first time in his life, Ren Tao was wrong.

They had arrived at the Victorian mansion at exactly 5 pm, and after brief introductions, Ren left Pirika to the care of Madame Rose. He instructed the blonde woman to go "easy" on Pirika, and clearly said that he expected them to finish in half an hour or so.

Ren, meanwhile, was led to another room, where he found his suit waiting for him. After he was sure that the suit met all his expectations, he changed. A young girl then came in, and politely led him to the patio, near the pool, where he was to wait until Pirika was done.

But that was an _hour_ ago…

Ren paced back and forth as he checked his watch for the umpteenth time. They were extremely late, damn it. His watch showed that the party already started thirty minutes ago, and from the looks of it, it seemed that he would be missing a great deal of it.

To say that Pirika took long enough to pick up a dress was an understatement. Pirika took _ages_ to pick a dress that she would wear for a maximum of four hours, and Madame Rose wasn't helping much either. The woman had sent word that they would be delayed, as Pirika was a tricky customer.

He would welcome a fifteen-minute delay, or perhaps even a half-hour, but an hour of delay simply wasn't tolerable.

Ren grunted. He beckoned for the young attendant to come to him. "Could you please tell them to hurry up?" He said in his most impatient voice. "The party just started half an hour ago! Tell Pirika that I don't give a damn what she wears, just tell her to finish it off already!" The young woman nodded and disappeared, eager to get away from the irate man.

He took another drink. He had requested a bottle of light wine earlier to calm his nerves. He then stared at the pool, and was distracted enough that he did not notice that there was someone standing beside him.

When Pirika realized that Ren was not due to look at her anytime soon, and that the dark-haired man was dimly aware of her presence, she coughed to get his attention.

Ren turned.

And to his dismay, he found himself looking at the most beautiful woman in the world.

His breath constricted in his throat, as he took in the image of a deity standing close to him.

It wasn't about the hair. Pirika, or Madam Rose for that matter, had curled it, before it was elegantly twisted at the back of her head, loose strands of which were carefully tucked in her ear.

It wasn't even about the dress. Pirika wore a simple periwinkle gown, the cut too familiar, and too modest to reveal anything, but the silk fabric that clung to her body failed to hide her curves, and the womanly figure beneath it.

Nor was it about the jewelry. The gown was off the shoulder, forcing Pirika to wear a silver necklace, the stone probably sapphire. Her earrings would not also attract attention, as they were small, and simple enough. She wore light make-up, a pale red lipstick, and light blush-on.

It was the way she carried herself that made the difference. Pirika's poise was calm and confident, and she kept her head high as she looked back at him. That, plus the hair and the dress, with the loveliest pair of eyes he'd seen, made her glow.

Pirika squirmed under the scrutiny of Ren's gaze, as he studied her from head to foot. She felt extremely uncomfortable, as those amber orbs bore into her, as though she wore nothing. She expected colorful curses once he saw her, and if she was lucky, a compliment or two, but certainly not this.

Ren looked dazed, just by the mere sight of her.

And she did what her mind told her to do… Pirika stared back.

Ren downed the remaining wine in his glass and walked nearer to the pool. He immediately felt the cold air brushed against his warm face. He then looked at Pirika once more. "Do you know how to dance?"

Pirika blinked. "What?" Dance? What was Ren on about?

"I was asking you, if you know how to dance…"

There was it again… Pirika gasped. The intensity of that gaze simply left her breathless. Those amber eyes stared at her, as if trying to tell her something.

_As if trying to make her understand_…

"No, I don't." She finally admitted.

There was a soft chuckle. "Do you want to?"

That was the time, Pirika knew, when she stopped to breathe. "Do I want to what?" She asked softly, not meeting his eyes.

"Did that dress mess up with your hearing or something?" Ren chuckled once more. He took a step closer. He cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. He then asked, ever so softly. "Pirika, do you want to dance?"

The moment her eyes met his, her defenses crumbled. _Yes_, her mind screamed. Yes, she wanted to dance with him. "But the party…"

"It doesn't matter…"

"But there's no music…"

Ren smiled. "Pirika…" He asked once again. "Do you want to dance?"

Her eyes closed as she finally submitted herself to what she really wanted, to what she had desperately avoided. She knew that sometime later she would regret this. But her mind blocked all coherent thoughts, as it told her that this was okay, that this was fine. "Yes…" Pirika softly replied. She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I want to dance with you."

"First lesson." Ren took a step away from Pirika. "The guy holds out his hand, and the girl takes it." He grinned at Pirika as he held out his hand, and she took it. "Then, the guy does this." He bowed, and kissed Pirika's hand.

Pirika lightly blushed. "Do you have to do that?"

"Of course. Tradition says so." Ren once more stepped close to Pirika. "Your left hand here." He put Pirika's left hand on his neck, "My left hand here." He put his left hand on her waist and drew her closer. "And your right hand, with mine. Got everything so far?"

Pirika nodded.

"Good. And now, we dance." Ren slowly stirred her around. "Just follow my lead." He whispered in her ear.

"Pirika, relax."

It was a moment close to perfection, as though nothing else mattered… There was no party to attend, no distractions to mind, no five years to look back to, as they held each other and danced. Ren carefully guided her around, but Pirika soon got the rhythm, and twirled against Ren with ease. Pirika even started to hum a song, as she leaned her head forward against his chest.

Ren looked surprised, but responded by drawing her even closer. "I think you're getting the hang of it…"

They remained like that for seemed like eternity, holding each other, as the spell of love had been cast.

"He's not answering his phone." Jun said worriedly, as she once again tried to contact her brother.

"What?" Horo-Horo paced back and forth. "What if something happened to them? Damn it…"

Tamao merely looked at Horo-Horo and smiled. "Relax, Horo-Horo. Just enjoy the party."

"How can I relax?" Horo-Horo snapped. "Relax, when they are supposed to be here half an hour ago? Relax, when I don't even know where the hell my sister is, or what the hell she's doing with my best friend! Oh my god…" He then glared at Hao and to the rest of his friends. "Don't tell me… Is this part of your ridiculous matchmaking plans again?"

Hao smirked. "Nope." _But I can assure you; they are having a good time… _

"Pirika."

Pirika looked up, and smiled, as she once more met Ren's gaze. "Hmmm?"

Ren caressed Pirika's cheeks, and tucked in a loose strand of hair in her ear. "You look beautiful tonight…" Ren spoke softly, and before he could control himself, he was leaning in…

Pirika closed her eyes, as she anticipated the inevitable.

And in the process, she instinctively took a step backwards.

Right into the slippery tiles of the pool…

Pirika's eyes widened as she felt herself slipped, and as her other hand was still on Ren's neck, on impulse, she tightened her hold into him for the sake of balance…

Ren realized what was happening, or what was about to happen, and as he was leaning in to Pirika, he lost his balance just as Pirika slipped and held him tight.

Splash!

The sound of two figures hitting water was heard, and Madame Rose came to investigate.

End of Chapter

Finally! I was inspired enough to finish this chapter! Yes! Be kind, and leave me a review!


End file.
